Steve Mortillo

Steven Mortillo arrived in Iraq in March, 2004, in the Army. He spent most of his time conducting "presence patrols", walking down the street waiting for something to go wrong. One time, his squad was attacked and could not return fire due to the angle of the Bradley weapon system. They fired warning shots into a wall to prevent any more action. That day, they showed remarkable restraint, but that changed once they started taking casualties.

On a dismounted patrol in December, Mortillo's squad came under fire. The fighting was intense. They evacuated their wounded platoon leader into a waiting Bradley. The enraged Bradley crew directed all their firepower at the area the attack had come from, a densely populated residential neighborhood. According to Mortillo, it is difficult even to know whether you are following the Rules Of Engagement in the thick of the action, especially when you believe you are avenging the death of a friend.